The Challenge
Effective policy and world-class science are both needed to prevent catastrophic environmental degradation on a global scale, yet science and policy often operate in different worlds and to different timelines.
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Environment
We need to act now to address biodiversity loss, climate change and poverty, interlinked challenges that are undermining human health and wellbeing around the globe.
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Policy
The social and environmental challenges we face are solvable, but rapid responses are needed. Policymakers and scientists need to work together to develop effective, solution-focused policies to get results.
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Research
To encourage researchers to work across disciplines and engage in policy work and outreach, we need to ensure that this essential work is valued and rewarded in academic career paths.
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Collaboration
Policymakers and researchers often work at different speeds and can be driven by different incentives. Effective policy needs these communities to be aligned and work together.
The Solution
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Fast-paced research ‘Sprints’
These mobilise the best interdisciplinary research teams from across the University of Oxford and beyond to deliver solutions-focused science that provides the information decision makers need, when they need it. Sprints are undertaken in close collaboration with government at all levels, industry partners, NGOs and local communities. They build a new model for academia to work with stakeholders and catalyse a culture change around how interdisciplinary research and policy engagement is funded and delivered.
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Delivering solutions-focused science through co-production with policymakers and feeding into the policy cycle in real-time.How does it work? Can I get involved?
Explore sprints
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Can we solve the “spin-up” problem in Earth System Modelling?
This sprint will be further developing an Earth System Model algorithm to improve work within Climate Model Intercomparison Project simulations, in partnership with the UK Met Office.
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How can we manage uncertainties in habitat greenhouse gas emissions?
This sprint will address the uncertainty in how confident we can be of any climatic benefits resulting from changing land-management.
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What do we need to know to safely store CO2 beneath our shelf seas?
This Sprint will build a decision-making framework for the environmental impact assessment of proposed sites for sub-sea CO2 storage in offshore reservoirs.
News
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Presenting at the Agricultural Economics Society Annual Conference: John Lynch
John Lynch recently presented ongoing work as part of the sprint "How can we manage uncertainties in habitat greenhouse gas emissions?" at the Agricultural Economics Society (AES) Annual Conference 2024.
24 April 2024 -
Researcher Spotlight – Saher Hasnain
Saher Hasnain worked on a 15-month sprint that ended in September 2023, to investigate the opportunities for nutrient recovery from waste products for agricultural fertilisers.
11 April 2024 -
Putting nature on the map – identifying locations for nature recovery and nature-based solutions
Watch the recording of a webinar on the Nature-based Solutions Knowledge Hub, a new resource to help implement NbS.
9 April 2024
Events
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Wednesday 24 Apr 2024 - 1:00pm echo 'Till';?> Wednesday 22 May 2024 - 2:00pm
The Agile Initiative Research Planning workshop series
An interactive online series of workshops for designing and planning successful Agile Initiative Sprints.
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Wednesday 01 May 2024 - 1:00pm- 2:00pm
Session 2: How to write an equality impact assessment for Agile Sprints
Learn how equality impact assessments (EIAs) can enhance your interdisciplinary policy-led research by helping you integrate diversity and inclusion considerations in your research project.
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Wednesday 08 May 2024 - 1:00pm- 2:00pm
Session 3: Co-creation and stakeholder engagement for impact in an Agile Sprint
Learn about effective strategies for continuous co-design of your research with key stakeholders for policy-oriented impact.
Get Involved with the Agile Initiative
We are building our network of interested researchers from Oxford and beyond, as well as potential policy partners. Register your interest and we will get in touch when we have more relevant information or opportunities for you.
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